


Merry Christmas, Feyre Darling

by wolfiixxx



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27040621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfiixxx/pseuds/wolfiixxx
Summary: Feysand Fluffy Highschool AU fic
Relationships: Feysand - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	Merry Christmas, Feyre Darling

**Author's Note:**

> *Listen, I know it's not Christmas yet, but I got so excited writing this and I couldn't wait until December to post it*

Three knocks sounded against her window.

At first, she assumed it was the wind or a random pigeon. It was nearly midnight on Christmas eve, and everyone she knew was out of town for the holidays. Her father was away on some business meeting and her sister, Nesta, had chosen to spend her vacation with her college friends instead. Everyone was out, except Elain who was staying with her, but she hadn't really been in the festive mood. Something about a boy named Grayson who broke her heart. 

But the knocks sounded again, more urgent this time. She threw her textbook on the bed and made for the window. The cool night air greeted her as she thrust it open to find a dark silhouette leaning against a tree, his hands full of pebbles.

The moonlight glinted off his midnight hair and his eyes sparkled. He was wearing his signature leather jacket with his usual sneakers and jeans. He let the pebbles fall to the ground, then brushed the dust off his fingers and slid his hands into his pockets.

Rhys smiled wickedly. "Hello, Feyre darling."

She cocked her head. "Were you throwing rocks at my window?"

"Maybe." He smoothed the lapels of his jacket. "How else was I supposed to get your attention?"

She gave him a wolfish grin. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to show you something."

She raised a brow. "Right now?"

He walked closer to the window and braced his hands on the windowsill. "Of course, now. There's no time like the present."

She crossed her arms, debating whether or not it was a good idea. Nesta wasn't home, so she wouldn't be there to lecture her about running off in the middle of the night with some strange boy. But she had a big project coming up for art club and she really wanted to get ahead on it.

She sighed. "I have a lot of work to do."

He pouted. "What work could you possibly be doing on Christmas Eve?"

"Well, there's this art project that I have to do, and then I have this painting I need to finish, and then-"

He held up his hands. "Alright, alright, I get it." He offered her a small smile but she didn't miss the disappointment his eyes.

Rhys shrugged. "Maybe next time."

Feyre watched him sulk back down the road, dragging his feet and kicking up dust along the way.

She bit her lip. She felt really guilty. All he'd wanted to do was spend some time with her and she'd turned him down, when he was one of the only people who'd stood by her and taken care of her after she'd broken up with her abusive ex Tamlin. And it wasn't like she had anyone else to spend Christmas with, since Elain was asleep upstairs.   
  
She picked up her textbook again and stared at the colorful pages. 

"Screw this," she muttered. She thrust her book aside and tied her hair back, then slipped on her boots. She tiptoed down the hall to the back door, mindful to keep her steps quiet and not to wake Elain.   
  
She went outside and ran after him, past the house she had spent all afternoon decorating, stringing Christmas lights and wrapping presents. Her boots crunched on the leaves on the ground and the cold made her shiver slightly. At least there wasn't any snow. She hated the snow, and anything cold. It rarely snowed in Velaris, but when it did, it was several feet deep and impossible to get through.

She finally reached him, and she bent over with her hands on her knees, wheezing and out of breath. 

"Wait," she gasped. He turned around, his brows drawn in confusion. 

She paused to catch her breath, then said "I'll come." 

He frowned. "Are you sure...?"

"A few minutes couldn't hurt." 

He seemed to debate the idea in his head, but after a while he relented. His stance became casual again and he grinned at her. "Follow me."

Rhys turned around and started walking towards the forest, not giving her a moment to reconsider what she'd just agreed to. He walked in long strides, and she almost had to jog to keep up with him. 

She huffed, still out of breath. "Where are we going?"

His eyes sparkled with mischief. "It's a surprise."

"I don't like surprises."

His mouth quirked to the side. "You'll like this one." 

She grunted, but followed him anyway. 

The moon followed them as they made their way to the forest and away from civilization. The only sounds were the crunch of leaves beneath their feet and the howls of the wind.

Soon, they'd left the warm lights of her house far behind and they stood at the edge of the forest in front of a wrought iron gate. But instead of opening it and walking in, Rhys leaped over the gate and landed on the other side with unnerving grace. He undid the latch and swung open the gate for her, then bowed dramatically.

Feyre snorted. "Show off."

He smirked, unbothered, and they continued down the gravel path. 

Crickets chirped and birds cawed. Branches cracked beneath their feet as they ventured through the underbrush. They were so far away from the real world that she couldn't hear the familiar sounds of cars and city life anymore. She heard the rustling of wings as a dark shadow flicked past them, and she ducked to avoid the bird swooping for her head. Towering oaks loomed over them, hiding the moon and making the trail darker with each step, until at one point she could barely see two feet in front of her. 

Rhys's hand slipped into hers, lacing their fingers together. He brought his mouth to her ear and whispered "Just so I don't lose you." 

She swallowed. "Okay." 

He grinned and squeezed her hand, leading them deeper into the forest. 

It wasn't a difficult hike. She'd endured far worse on her family's occasional hiking trips. But it was steep enough that she found herself holding Rhys' hand tighter to keep herself balanced as she trekked in her worn out sneakers. 

This was definitely a bad idea. Leaving her house alone at night without telling anyone where she was was dangerous and reckless and stupid. She was none of those things. But being around Rhys made her want to do dangerous and reckless and stupid things. 

She realized suddenly that despite all they'd been through, she barely knew anything about him. Didn't know where he'd come from, who his parents were. It surprised her more that she wanted to know so badly. 

"You know," she said, breaking the silence that had settled over them, "I really don't think I should be following a mysterious boy into the woods in the middle of the night."

He pushed a branch away from his face with his free hand. "Why not?" he asked.

"Well, to start with, you could be taking me to whatever this mysterious place is for any number of reasons: to kidnap me, hold me for ransom..."

She went on listing all the different methods of torture she could think of as a laugh escaped him.

"How morbid." He snickered. "If I wanted to subject you to torture, I'd simply drop you off at Cassian's place and make you watch him argue with your sister." 

Feyre snorted. "No thanks. Torture sounds nicer." 

He smirked. "What is it with you and torture? There are other ways I could make you scream, Feyre darling."

She punched him in the arm. Hard.

He scowled, but the amusement in his eyes betrayed him. "Ow."

She snatched her hand from his grasp and walked ahead of him, refusing to think too long on what he'd said. She was very grateful for the darkness because she was blushing profusely. He jogged after her, laughing like a drunk.

She ignored him and walked faster, but then yelped as she tripped over what she assumed was a tree root. She threw her hands in front of her, ready for the collision, but strong hands grabbed her waist. Rhys spun her around and she slammed into his chest. She nearly stumbled again as her legs gave out under her, but he hauled her closer to him and gripped her harder. 

He stroked his thumb over her cheek, sparking a trail of fire every place his finger touched her skin. "You okay?" 

Her heart beat faster at his warmth. She didn't know when she had started being affected by his touch so much. 

Her breath clouded the air in front of her. "I'm fine," she whispered. 

His eyes shone with concern. "Can you walk?"

She pushed away from him, rolling her eyes. She instantly regretted it, feeling suddenly cold without his warmth. "I'm fine."

His brows furrowed, but he nodded. He took her hand in his, and she almost snatched it away again, but the look in his eyes made her want to hold onto him longer. 

They walked in silence for a while. Minutes passed by, and her feet were starting to ache. 

"How much longer?" she asked. 

He squeezed her hand. "Not long."

Finally, she could see the moon overhead again, as the forest became less dense. She sniffed the air. It felt cooler and crisper than the air in the city. They must have gone very high up to have gotten away from all the pollution that clouded the city. 

Rhys smiled as he pushed back a few more branches. "We're here." 

She gasped. 

They stood on a large hillside overlooking a view of the city. Thousands of lights twinkled from buildings and houses below, their roofs decorated with colorful Christmas lights. A faint sound of music came from somewhere in the city, a joyful melody accompanied by laughter and singing. A sea of stars looked down from above, the crescent moon glowing brightly in the night sky.

She'd never realized how beautiful Velaris was before. 

She glanced at Rhys. It'd been too dark for her to see much of him when they were in the woods, but she could see him clearly now. The lights below bathed his skin in a warm glow, making his face look almost look golden. The breeze ruffled his dark, tousled hair, and she noticed a swirl of black ink peeking out above his collar, the start of a tattoo. His hard features had softened and his eyes were warm and thoughtful. He was impossibly handsome. 

The thought startled her. She'd never thought about him in that way before. Never allowed herself to after what had happened between her and Tamlin. Rhys had been a jerk to her when they'd first met, embarrassing her in front of her friends and constantly trying to annoy her at any given opportunity. But over the last couple of weeks, she'd started seeing a different side of him. A side she doubted he often showed to many people.

But it was stupid of her to think of him like that. She doubted he felt anything for her. It was a wonder he didn't have a girlfriend yet. With those looks, he could get anyone at school if he wanted to. And if he stopped being a horrible jerk to everyone that wasn't Cass, Az, Mor, or Amren. 

Rhys glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She realized she'd been staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

She looked away quickly, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. "Nothing."

He grinned. "Enjoying the view?"

"Are you talking about your face or Velaris?"

He laughed, the sound like silk on water. "Whichever you want." 

Rhys lay down on the ground and crossed his arms behind his head. She lay down next to him, running her hands through the soft grass. 

After a while, she said "I've never seen this place before." 

"Most people don't know about it," he mused. 

"How is that possible?"

He shrugged, somehow making the casual movement look impossibly elegant. "Most people don't bother to look. Everyone's trapped in their phones these days."

Feyre nodded in agreement, although she felt like a hypocrite for doing so. If anyone was addicted to their phone, it was her. 

She shivered and rubbed her hands. It felt like the temperature had suddenly dropped by 50 degrees.

Rhys's eyes flicked over her, then he took his jacket off and held it out to her. "Here."

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

He stood up and came behind her, pushing her hair back to drape the jacket over her shoulders. "You'll catch a cold like this." 

She looked him over, him wearing nothing more than a thin T-shirt and jeans, with his cheeks slightly rosy from the cold. 

He smiled, noticing her gaze. "I'll be fine." 

She pursed her lips, uncertain, but eventually she relented. 

"Hold on," he said. "I'll be right back. I'll just go get some wood to start a fire."

She nodded, although the idea of being alone there didn't sound very tempting. As beautiful as the view was, she wasn't about to dismiss the fact that they were practically in the middle of nowhere surrounded by who knows what. 

He disappeared into the trees and she sat alone in the quiet for a couple of minutes. She swore she could feel something watching her, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary as she peered into the dark forest beyond. She was probably just imagining it. It could easily be just another deer or an owl. 

After a while, her patience had started to wear thin, and she was just about to get up and go after Rhys when she heard something behind her. At first she thought she'd imagined it, but then it sounded again. 

_Creak._

She kept her back to whatever it was behind her, not daring to breath too loudly. She stifled the urge to turn around and sprint for the woods and hope she found Rhys somewhere along the way.

_Creak._

Again she heard the sound, closer this time. She was starting to panic. Her palms had begun sweating and her heart was hammering in her ribcage. 

Suddenly, something grabbed her from behind and she screamed. She turned around, flailing and clawing at the thing.

Rhys burst into laughter, clutching his stomach to keep himself from falling over. 

"What the hell?" she yelled at him. 

Rhys tried to speak, but he was wheezing and giggling uncontrollably. 

She kicked him in the shin, which only caused him to laugh even more. He managed to control himself long enough to wipe a tear from his face. "You should've seen your face."

Her vision turned red and she pushed him onto the ground. He landed flat on his back and she climbed on top of him. 

She snarled in his face. "I hate you."

He stopped laughing suddenly. He studied her with fierce intensity, eyes searching hers. His warm breath fanned over her face as he licked his lips. Her eyes followed the movement against her will and she found herself leaning closer and closer. He stared at her eyes, then at her mouth, then back at her eyes again, the hint of a smile curling his lips. 

Before she could think it through, she leaned in and brushed her lips against his, barely more than a whisper of a touch. He reacted immediately, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. She breathed in the scent of him, the smell of rain and citrus, and pressed her lips harder against his. He reached behind her to undo her hair tie, running his hands through the loose hair that spilled over her shoulders. Her own fingers toyed with the soft curls at the nape of his neck. 

She melted into him, his body warm and hard beneath her. He moaned softly as she bit his lower lip, but she pulled back to see him better. 

He smirked. "You still hate me?" 

She pressed a soft kiss to his jaw. "I'd be tempted to forgive you for another kiss." 

He beamed. "I'd be more than happy to oblige." 

Rhys nipped at her fingers playfully, and she grinned. He stood up and arranged the wood he'd gathered in a small camping hearth nearby, then he pulled out a match and lit a fire. The blazing fire and Rhys's soft jacket warmed her thoroughly, chasing away the cold winter weather. He blew on the fire until the flames began rising, then stepped back and sat back down next to her. The smell of smoke wafted over to her as she rolled over to rest her head on his chest and he began playing with her hair.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, staring at the stars and listening to each other's breathing, until Rhys nudged her head with his chin and pointed to a patch of stars. "You see those?" he asked. "The ones where it looks like a man holding an arrow."

She nodded.

"That's the Orion Constellation," he said. "They call it The Hunter." 

She tilted her head to see it better. "Oh yeah, I can totally see why." 

"It's from Greek Mythology. They say that Orion called himself the greatest hunter in the world, and Hera got mad and sent a scorpion to kill him." 

"And I thought you were dramatic." 

He snorted. 

She pointed to another place in the sky. "What about that one?"

"Ursa Major." 

"Looks like a bear."

He kissed her nose. "It is a bear." 

She fingered his shirt, trying not to think about what he looked like underneath the soft fabric. "What's the story behind it?" 

He buried his face in her shoulder and started kissing her neck, but she poked him in the side. "Tell me."

"Mmm," his teeth scraped the skin on her shoulder. "Maybe later," he whispered, sucking on a spot on her throat lightly. 

She shoved his face away. "Tell me the story."

He licked his lips and grinned at her. "You taste delicious, Feyre darling." 

She scowled, but he laughed and said "Fine, I'll tell you." 

He tucked her into his side again and rested his chin on top of hers, then started. "There was this nymph called Callisto. She swore a vow of chastity to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, but one day she met Zeus and they fell in love." 

He sighed, as if he'd told the story a million times before, and she found herself wondering how many other girls he'd taken to a spot like this. The thought filled her with such jealousy that she pushed it away immediately and turned her attention back to the story.

He continued. "Together, they had a son, and Artemis banished Callisto because of her betrayal. Once Zeus's wife Hera found out about her husband and the nymph, she was filled with such envy that she turned Callisto into a bear."

She covered her mouth to suppress a yawn as Rhys glanced at her. 

He smiled sadly. "I'm boring you, aren't I?"

She shook her head. "No, not at all. I'm just tired." She squeezed his hand encouragingly. "Go on." 

"You're sure you wouldn't rather do something else? I don't want to bore you." He kissed her head and smirked. "How about that forgiveness we talked about earlier?" 

She clamped her lips together to keep from smiling. "After you finish the story." 

He grunted and went on with the story. "For the next few years of her life, Callisto wandered the woods in the form of a bear. Her son, Arcas, grew up to be a hunter, and one day he spotted her in the woods. So he drew his spear and aimed at her. Zeus watched the whole thing from Olympus, and when he saw what was about to happen, he sent them both to the heavens and they became constellations in the sky. Callisto became Ursa Major and Arcas became Ursa Minor." 

"When Hera found out, she was even more enraged, and persuaded Oceanus and Tethys to never allow the bear to bathe in the northern waters. Which is why Ursa Major never goes below the northern horizon in mid-northern latitudes."

He yawned. "The end."

She snuggled closer to him. "Sounds like everything's always Hera's fault."

He kissed her cheek. "Mhm." 

She glanced up at him. "How do you know all this?"

"I have a thing for astronomy," he admitted, and kissed the corner of her mouth. 

He rubbed his eyes and blew out a breath. "It's getting late, and you're probably tired. We should go back." 

"It's fine. We can stay a little longer if you want. Unless _you_ have to go back." She frowned. "Do your parents know you're here?"

He hesitated. "I'm sure they'd be fine with it."

"Really?"

He seemed to be struggling to find the right words. "They're not here right now."

She drew his jacket closer around herself as a chill went through her. "When are they coming back?"

He swallowed. "No, I mean they're dead."

Her mouth fell open. _Oh_.

He scratched his head. "My sister too, actually."

He said it so casually, with such nonchalance, that she thought she'd misheard him for a second. 

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know."

His voice had become slightly colder as he said "I didn't expect you to."

"How did it happen?"

He moved to stoke the flames, completely unaffected by what she'd asked him. "Car crash. It happened a few years ago, but I've moved on."

She reached up and kissed him several times, as if she could convey how sorry she was in the gesture. She wanted to take all his pain and worries away, but she didn't think there was much she could do to help him. From her experience, those kinds of wounds never fully healed.

He started playing with her hair again as she said "My mom died of cancer when I was eight."

His eyes softened. "You never told me."

She shrugged. "It was a long time ago and I don't really remember her. From the memories I do have of her, she wasn't particularly nice. Never the kind, gentle mother I wanted. She was cold... and distant." 

He smiled sadly in understanding and tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. 

She pushed up from where they were lying down suddenly and pointed to the sky. "Look, a shooting star!"

Rhys sat up and grinned. "Make a wish."

She propped herself up on her elbows. "You first." 

"Okay. I wish-"

She interrupted him. "You're not supposed to say it out loud, smart ass." 

He rolled his eyes. "Well, too bad." 

He took her hands in his and pulled her closer. 

"I wish I could gather all the stars in the sky for you, Feyre," he breathed. "I wish I could take all the galaxies and constellations and comets and wrap them in a present and offer it to you."

He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. He pulled back quickly, his eyes sparkling like twilight as they searched hers. "I wish I could collect a million falling stars and place them in your palm so all your wishes could come true."

She felt her face go bright red as she blushed. 

He grinned, pleased with her reaction. "Your turn."

She closed her eyes and concentrated. _I wish... I wish... I wish that..._

She opened her eyes again a few moments later and he asked "What did you wish for?" 

"If I tell you, it won't come true," she chided. 

He tried prying it out of her, but after a while, he gave up on and they lay back down, fingers laced together, her head on his chest. Her eyes slid shut as she listened to the crackling of the fire and the rhythm of his chest rising and falling.

Rhys kissed the top of her head. "You're falling asleep. Let's go back."

"Just a few more minutes," she murmured. 

He sighed. "I've already taken too much of your time anyway. You had a million things to do and I pulled you away from all of it."

She smiled to herself. "It was totally worth it."

He kissed her forehead, pulled the jacket tighter around her, then stood up and dragged her off the ground so she could stand up. She leaned against him lazily, her thoughts too cloudy to think properly. He put out the fire and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, nestling her into his side. She said goodbye to the stars and moon one last time, before they began the journey back through the forest. 

After a long, arduous descent back down the mountain, where Rhys had offered multiple times to carry her and she had declined, they finally reached the iron gate. Her house came back into view after a while, and soon they were standing in her backyard again.

Feyre rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Thank you for tonight."

She shrugged his jacket off and tried to give it back to him, but he only kissed her hand, then told her to keep it.

"But you'll catch a cold on your way back," she said.

Rhys smiled. "It's only a few minutes away." 

She hugged him goodbye and thanked him again, and was about to go back inside, when one of the Christmas decorations overhead fell on her head. She pulled back from him as the small object fell into her palm.

She grinned. "Well at least one part of your wish came true. I got a falling star in the palm of my hand."

He laughed, the sound so earnest and genuine, that she realized she could have wished for no better way to spend her Christmas. 

"Merry Christmas, Feyre darling," he said.

"Merry Christmas, Rhys."


End file.
